Front suspension improvement

[cugsy]

I had a look on the site but can't find anything,so I'll ask.
  I have about half a mile of muddy and sandy farm track to navigate before I get to tarmac. I've got the suspension adjusted as best I can (following the handbook). I'm a bit of a lard arse and need it a bit firmer and it does bounce and rattle yer teeth when I'm riding up to the main road.
  Now I appreciate that 1/4 of a ton of beast isn't going to float over the ruts and bumps like the DR650 does. When its on the road and travelling on decent tarmac it feels fine. The trouble is that when I get to towns and start finding manhole covers and bumps then I'm back to rattling teeth and spine damage.  With winter nearly here, I'm thinking of changing the fork oil. Is it possible to forget about the air side of things and just adjust the oil - quantity or amount?
   The rear shock is as bad but I can live with that...or stand on the pegs. Unless there's a simple and cheap fix?
   Its a fun bike to hoon along on but things like the suspension are annoying.  Ta all. John

[Strawboss]

Theres a thread going right now over on "The Bike C-10" that pretty much covers what you are asking. All sorts of options.

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=14803.0

[enim57]

The stock suspension is not good and in fact bad. It can be improved to being good but it depends how much time and in particular money you want to spend. If you don't want to spend much you can put 15wt oil in the front ands fill it to 150mm from the top with forks compressed and springs out. In the rear you can put heavier oil in but be sure it is shock (not fork) oil. Keep an eye the air pressures and keep them high. That's it for the cheap improvements, all the rest will cost more.

Regards, Russell

[cugsy]

Russ, can I skip the air side of things with the front forks then? And would a simpler (air free) shock on the back be better?  I always considered air forks and shocks a bit of a compromise ...and a sh*t one at that.  ta

[Boomer]

John, what you need is a ZZR1200 rear shock (and the bottom bolt & sleeve) and some straight rate Sonic fork springs from Murphs.
It's what I have on mine and it's the best compromise I have found although I'm told that for the front Race-Tech springs and cartridge emulators are the way to go.
I won't bother as I have a 1400GTR for my hooligan moments and just want the 1000 to be comfy.

A lighter fork oil delivers less damping.
The factory recommends 10W which is what I use but I'm 24½ Stone.
If you like it firmer (oooooh errr missus!) then go with 15W or a 50/50 mix to get 12.5W.

If you want a cheap front suspension mod look around on here for the fork spring cutting mod.
You cut off the looser wound end of the spring and replace it with some think walled PVC pipe.

On the rear your only cheap option is to replace the oil which is a PITA job.
Try playing with the damping and pressure on the rear.
They shock can handle 50Psi and needs at least 7psi so plenty of range to play with.
I used to run with 40Psi and #2 Damping (1 hardest, 4 softest)

[cugsy]

Hey George. If I remember what the handbook suggests for the front - the oil is 10/20w.....where do you find that? I'm 16 stone and thats about 100kg. The book says 10psi per 100kg. That right or utter bollix? I remember on one of older bikes someone suggested chopping some off the spring and stacking it with a 2" spacer and softer oil. That seemed to work.
  A zzr 1200 shock..rocking horse ****? Easy enough? Jobs for the winter then. Overall the bike is fine on the big roads and the twisties but it just lacks summit tha' knows.

[enim57]

There are a lot of threads about suspension upgrades and the endless possibilities, that in itself confirms the suspension leaves a lot to be desired.

I weigh about 92kg naked then add gear.
Front suspension is Racetech 1kg/mm straight rate springs, cartridge emulators with 2 turns on the spring, 15wt oil filled to 150mm from top with spring out but emulator in. Air is not required with this. Fork brace.
Rear suspension is a Wilbers unit.
All this costs a lot of money (mainly the Wilbers unit).

My brother who only rides new bikes (currently Triumph Thruxton and BMW800) and always scratches and scuffs his tyres to the edge. He rekons my bike handles good and is the best of the "older" bikes he's ever ridden and is as good as the "new" heavy bikes.
My wife finds the ride more comfortable than the original setup - that's because of proper damping.

George suggested alternatives that give acceptable results, as a minimum straight rate springs, heavier oil, and ZZR shock. I strongly recomend the emulators and have them on my dual sport and have fitted them to friends bikes and none of us would ride without them. Controlled damping is more important than spring rate.

Be warned if you upgrade the front only it will really show up how bad the rear is.

Regards, Russell